When they were in high school, the two best friends dreamed of attending the BASS Masters Classic. This year, they both made it, against odds of about 1-in-5 million. Dustin Wilkes, 22, and Chris Elliot, 23, began fishing for bass together in a pond behind Elliot's Raleigh, N.C., house when both were in ninth grade and soon after entered tournaments together. Last year, Elliot competed on the Wrangler/B.A.S.S. amateur federation tour, while Wilkes honed skills on the B.A.S.S. Eastern Invitational pro circuit. After Wilkes won his division, he helped coach Elliot. They are the two youngest competitors in the Classic.
Dustin is a new competitor on the pro fishing circuit and a newly minted college graduate. He represents a new breed of professional angler. "Just like everyone just out of school, I mean nobody has money. This is an expensive sport... if you don't start out quick it can be real tough."
His best friend, Chris Elliot, who is competing against him in the Bassmasters Classic, is still IN college. For both men, a degree is now part of training to be a pro.
"I definitely think it will help," remarks Elliot, "The education is just one more tool I can use to help myself, help my sponsors, help everyone I'm associated with."
Education is part of the increasing sophistication of the sport. Pro anglers don't just fish. They make public appearances, presentations and represent sponsors. More and more hold degrees.
Ken Cook, who won the Bassmasters Classic in 1991, was a fisheries biologist before turning pro. Jay Yelas from Tyler, Texas also has a degree.
"You really get some valuable business tools in college," says Jay, "I took some business classes, I took some speech classes, you know public relations, that sort of thing".
Competitive bass fishing is still a long way from a profession of scholars. The primary qualification IS catching fish consistently. But many of the older pros want people entering the sport to be prepared and to represent it in the best way possible.
New graduate and pro angler Dustin Wilks says he finds many experienced anglers wishing they could do it over again. "Everyone I talked to who hasn't gone to college says 'man, I wish I'd have gone, you know."